Selank
Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro (tuftsin analogue)
A tuftsin-derived anxiolytic peptide studied for generalised anxiety, with benzodiazepine-like calming reported without sedation or dependence.
Last reviewed · 2 references
How it works
Selank is a synthetic analogue of the immune peptide tuftsin. It modulates GABA-A expression and appears to stabilise enkephalin levels by inhibiting their enzymatic breakdown. Russian trials also report shifts in serotonin turnover and in interleukin-6 expression, which is why it sits at the crossroads of the anxiety and inflammation literature.
Early human data. Some human data exists, usually small, open-label, or from a single research group.
What the research reports
- Anxiolytic effect comparable to medazepam in Russian comparative trials
- No reported sedation, tolerance or withdrawal in those trials
- Changes in IL-6 and other inflammatory markers
- Improved attention alongside reduced anxiety, rather than at its expense
What it has not been shown to do
- No Western regulatory trial has been conducted
- Not established as a replacement for anxiety medication
- Effects beyond short study windows are unknown
Dosing reference
Research literature commonly reports 250–900 mcg/day intranasally, usually split.
Calculate my dose for Selank- Routes studied
- Intranasal, Subcutaneous
- Half-life
- Short in plasma; behavioural effects reported for several hours
- Cycle length in the literature
- Studies typically run 10–14 days
Working out a draw volume from a vial? Use the free reconstitution calculator.
Side effects and contraindications
Reported side effects
- Nasal irritation
- Mild fatigue or flatness in some users
- Headache
Do not use if
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Do not use to self-taper off prescribed benzodiazepines without clinical supervision
The practice that shares the mechanism
Anything that lowers anxiety pharmacologically leaves the underlying pattern intact. Selank's research profile pairs naturally with vagal and coherence work, which trains the nervous system to reach the same state on its own — so the calm outlasts the compound.
What amplifies it
- Slow exhale-weighted breathing raises HRV through the same parasympathetic route
- Consistent sleep timing stabilises the HPA axis Selank acts on
- Reducing alcohol matters more here than most people expect — it directly opposes the GABA adaptation
Mechanism hubs
Stacks that include it
- Mood & motivationFor anhedonia and flat drive: the inflammation and plasticity angles, and why the practice half carries most of the weight here.
- Recovery & nervous systemFor the flatness of early recovery: what the dopamine baseline is doing, the limited peptide research, and the practices that carry it.
Common questions
- The Russian trials that compared it against benzodiazepines reported no tolerance, dependence or withdrawal. That is a genuinely notable finding, but it comes from short studies by a small number of research groups and has not been independently replicated at scale.
- No. Nothing on this site is a substitute for prescribed treatment, and stopping a benzodiazepine or SSRI without supervision is dangerous. Selank is an unapproved research compound.
Sources & evidence notes
Some human data exists, usually small, open-label, or from a single research group.
Confidence score 7/100
Preliminary
Mechanism only. Nothing here establishes that a person would feel anything.
- 1.
Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii, 2008 · Source (opens in a new tab)
In vitroLimited gradeCells or tissue in a dish. Tells you about mechanism, not about outcomes. - 2.
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 2016 · Source (opens in a new tab)
In vitroLimited gradeCells or tissue in a dish. Tells you about mechanism, not about outcomes.